Distant Lights
by Zephram
Summary: Instead of imprisoning his son in a dungeon for six months, Vinsmoke Judge actually decides to send Sanji away. But where does our future Straw Hat end up? Punk Hazard of all places, where two familiar individuals reside. Somewhere, someone has a sense of humor. Alternative timeline/edited canon/non-canon


_A/N:_ _I'm operating off the assumption that Caesar and Judge had some form of association back in the day (thanks to Oda's hints)._

 _In this story, there is an eleven year difference between Caesar and Sanji. Monet has swapped places with her sister in terms of being younger of the two (just cause). And I've messed with the timeline a wee bit (a lot?). Here we run with the idea that a lot of things have occurred much (much) sooner, and therefore Caesar has his set up quite early on._

 _Last note: Punk Hazard, due to Caesar's actions, has become an island of blistering frost, snow, and of course, cold. It has yet to be affected by a duel between two certain admirals that will split its climate._

 _12/21/2017: Edits, minor revisions, grammar._

* * *

When the boy arrives at Punk Hazard, Caesar isn't quite sure of what to make of him.

At first glance he's nothing special, simply a wide eyed blonde haired child who holds an obvious level of fear and mistrust in his expression. It easily indicates that he is expecting the scorn of those he meets rather than their kindness.

But Caesar doesn't suspect that Sanji is responsible for this belief, nor does he place that fault in the Vinsmoke son.

After all, Judge is his father and that man was devoid of any sort of compassion, fatherly or otherwise. Further, given what Caesar could suspect about Sanji's siblings, he knows that the Vinsmoke king only saw his offspring as tools, a means to an end.

Thus when he introduces himself to his new charge, now present because of father who has deemed his own child a "failure" and needed somewhere to essentially exile him to, he is careful with his words.

Monet is instantly taken with Sanji.

It's most likely because he's someone her own age, thus someone to play with because even her favored game of "bother-Caesar-while-he-is-working" can become tiresome. It's one thing that the horned scientist can thank Judge for doing.

Her being around does help the boy relax given that she is kind compared to those who are his "family".

And pretty soon they are both playing the "bother Caesar" game.

...damn.

 **§**

A month or so later, Sanji comes up to Caesar and asks him a question that has potentially been on his mind since a week after he arrived.

"Caesar-sama… why does Monet call you 'master'?"

The pure curiosity in the question and the boy's eyes almost makes the scientist laugh, but he restrains himself and answers somewhat honestly.

"Ah, that is because she is my assistant. She helps me with my work."

"Work…?"

"Yes, from time to time she'll help me... when she's not playing with you."

Instantly the boy's face becomes embarrassed, and Caesar raises an eyebrow. Had that been too mean?

"S-sorry, Caesar-sama…"

"Don't be. You might be actually be assisting me when you two are off playing and out of my hair. I'm sure Monet doesn't mind either…"

His subordinates were under strict orders to give Sanji and Monet a wide berth while they were out and about. There were a few reasons to this, but the main one was that he did not wish to frighten the boy. Otherwise, when they were in the room with him, it was a toss-up in terms of whether they would leave him be or try to get him to also join in on their game.

Being close to twenty years old, Caesar wasn't going to partake in any sort of childish "game".

"…is Monet your sister?"

He considers lying, as there are a lot of things that Caesar tries to avoid having Sanji learn while he is ward. It's not like he believes that the boy will steal all his research and take it back to his 'holier than thou' father, but it's a habit that the time working for the World Government under Vegapunk. Because back then there were too many people trying to undermine each other, except where and when it really counted.

That is when one became aware of who was a coward and who was not.

In the end though, Caesar decides that a more honest answer wouldn't hurt.

"No, her mother and father are deceased and I promised to look after her for a friend."

"…oh," Sanji responds, but his expression becomes distant as if he is thinking about something else.

 _Ah, that's right…_

The boy's mother was also deceased, and given what his remaining parent was like, it was certainly almost having no parents alive at all. Hell, perhaps having both of them gone might have been better for him…

"Sanji-kuuun! There you are!"

Glancing over, Caesar sees that Monet has apparently found them, or rather Sanji. Though in the next moment she began to almost scold him over this fact and something of guilt appears on the boy's face.

"…sorry, Monet-san…"

One hug from her and everything is suddenly all better, all transgressions instantly forgotten. It strikes the scientist as thoroughly intriguing.

 _Amusing, more so…_

Caesar tells them both to go as he has scientific work that needs his attention.

 **§**

As Sanji's birthday draws closer, the horned scientist becomes increasingly more stumped as to what he should do for it.

In truth, he does not want to do _anything_ about it.

Birthdays aren't really his type of celebration, as he barely acknowledged his nineteenth except for Monet wishing him it happily and then insisting on them having cake. Which, they did, because she would have probably make him "suffer" otherwise.

Such a little pain she was…

Regardless though, she was the one who had learned when exactly Sanji's birthday was and further, thankfully, what he was interested in. Cooking it seemed, and apparently it was an activity that the boy's father had scolded him for. Something related to his royal status and how he shouldn't serve others. Somehow he wasn't surprised to have learned that such a statement came from Judge.

 _Arrogant asshole…_

Still, knowing this allowed Caesar to come up with an idea.

Why not allow the boy to conduct experiments of his own, albeit in the culinary form?

His laboratory on Punk Hazard once home to a number of scientists, possessed more than a single kitchen. Only one was used by individuals who now made up the ranks of Caesar's followers while the other, fully stocked with unused utensils, gathered dust. In a way it was quite comical how many people were now present on the island in comparison to before the "incident" that turned it into a frozen wasteland.

Irregardless of the past, the tall scientist goes through with the plan, and upon "receiving" this gift, Sanji treats it like it's one of the best thing in the world that anyone could give another person.

The resulting hug catches Caesar by surprise and he freezes upon feeling the physical contact. After a moment of standing completely still, Monet giggling at his state, he reaches down and puts his hand on the boy's head. He hoped it didn't appear too awkward but he thinks that the boy is too grateful to notice.

When it comes to the gift, the only thing he asks of Sanji in terms of conditions, though mostly as a jest, is to not burn down his laboratory or Punk Hazard in his food experimentation.

Later out of kindness, though with some hidden worry, the scientist tries one of the resulting dishes. Much to his surprise it is tasteful and well made, as if crafted by the hand of someone who has made it their life's dream to cook.

He idly wonders why that is so.

 **§**

It is often that Caesar found he has trouble sleeping.

The exact reason escapes him but he can make a guess that it has something to do with poor habits and holding an irregular schedule in the first place.

A price of brilliance perhaps or some other reason that he found pleasing enough.

So generally when these sleepless nights came around, he'd resort to wandering the corridors laboratory because focusing on work and research seemed implausible. As a result, there were instances where he'd come across Sanji and Monet curled up together, exhausted from their day of doing whatever children do.

Tonight was such a time, both of the aforementioned youth having found one of the old couches to lie down on.

Their faces while sleeping seem so innocent to Caesar, as Sanji looks like all his burdens had left him and he hadn't a possible care in the world. Monet on the other hand is devoid of that mischievous glint that her eyes while she is awake and looks like just another child to him.

Shaking his head and sighing, he finds a thick blanket and pulls it over both of them.

Even with the proper winter gear, and in spite of any interior temperature regulation, Punk Hazard was still quite an arctic wasteland. If either of them got sick from this habit, Caesar vows to reprimand them.

 _And you care why…?_

 **§**

He had wanted to burn the letter and pretend it never arrived.

But as much as Caesar had _wanted_ to do so, it was not an option. Not even a possibility given that doing so would most likely result in the Germa 66 assaulting Punk Hazard, which would in turn involve Joker in the matter.

Thus any of the financial backing, any of the security that Caesar currently enjoyed would be ruined.

Still his heart had been heavy when he and Monet had said goodbye to Sanji

Apparently the boy's father, despite having deemed him a failure, despite sending him away in the first place, wanted something to do with him. Was it an action born out vanity or was Judge just an outright cruel individual who had no consideration for the wishes of his child?

All potential answers needed to be taken into consideration when it came to the Vinsmoke king.

Well, except for those that had _good_ fucking reasoning behind them…

But what really gets to Caesar is how much he cares that the boy has left. In spite of his own personal problems with emotions and regards for others, he knows that he had grown attached to Sanji over the course of his time on Punk Hazard.

He wishes he hadn't, but it does not change the truth. And further he feels sorry for Monet as she was most certainly robbed a friend. Both of them were.

Thoroughly distracted by his troubles, Caesar fails to notice that she has entered his study and spoken his name to try and get his attention. It is only at the second attempt that he becomes aware of her presence and responds.

"Yes, Monet, what is it?"

The question she asks is full of sadness, unhidden and wishing for a specific answer..

"Master, will we ever see Sanji again…?"

 _Tell her no,_ his mind instantly urges him to say. However looking into her eyes, Caesar hasn't the heart to give her the response that is most likely the truth. So he settles on one that holds less weight, and might bring himself a little bit of closure so he can move on.

But it is a response that years later would come rushing back into his head.

 _"I don't know, Monet… but maybe one day."_

 **§**

"Caesar."

A voice interrupts him exchanging glares with the Straw Hats' red haired navigator, and Caesar looks over to see that Sanji is standing nearby. In the hands of the cook are two plates, one of them apparently his meal and despite his status as a prisoner, it actually looks pretty decent.

He eyes the other male warily but ultimately relents. "…thank you."

Sanji gives him a nod, setting down one of the plates before placing the other not too far from it.

Chains rattle to Caesar's right, and a feminine voice speaks up, "Thank you, Sanji-kun!"

Monet flashes a smile to the cook, and he instantly melts at her words of gratitude and, without much a second thought, lingers to begin conversing with her. Honestly, it's more so just compliments about her beauty and how if she needed anything to simply just ask him personally.

Unsurprisingly, the green haired woman plays into the cook's weakness for the opposite sex. Especially for those of the beautiful, manipulative variety it would seem.

"Oh, Sanji-kun, you've grown up to be such a gentleman… a _handsome_ gentleman too."

A little bit away, Caesar notes with some sadistic pleasure that "Nami", as he has recently learned her name to be, is trying to hide her seething reaction to the flirtation. Perhaps it is jealousy, or perhaps she is worried that someone associated with himself is just as "awful" and "monstrous" and therefore is certainly trying to corrupt her fellow crew member.

Regardless, he puts he puts his attention on the food.

And while the scientist eats, he does look over and watches Monet and Sanji speak.

To him, they look like those two children he knew all those years ago, running around his laboratory and causing him grief.

 _Maybe one day indeed._

* * *

 _Thanks for the read._


End file.
